Johan Grelsson and his Archer, Urian and Culin Descendants

Qualification & Procedure List of Qualifying Forefathers Forefather Application Forefather Family Profiles List of Current Forefather Mambers	Johan Grelsson and his Archer, Urian and Culin Descendants by Dr. Peter Stebbins Craig Fellow, American Society of Genealogists Fellow, Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania Historian, Swedish Colonial Society originally published in Swedish Colonial News, Volume 2, Number 5 (Fall 2001) Johan Grelsson, his wife Helena and their three children arrived in New Sweden on the ship Mercurius in 1656. He was described as a Finn from Fryksdalen, the valley of the Fryken Lakes in Värmland, Sweden. Otherwise, little is known about Johan Grelsson's life in Sweden. His patronymic, Grelsson, indicates that he was the son of Gregor. In America, Dutch and English scribes had difficulty spelling Johan's patronymic. The Dutch scribe Ephraim Herrman called him Jan Cornelissen. In 1671, the English census taker Walter Wharton called him John Gilsaw. Piecing together the evidence, however, we find that Johan Grelsson settled in the Finnish community known as Ammansland and shared a large tract of land along Mill (now Darby) Creek in what later became Ridley Township, Chester (now Delaware) County, PA. Here the family of Johan Grelsson joined the family of Matthias Matthiasson (also a Mercurius passenger from Fryksdalen) and the family of Mårten Mårtensson (who had arrived on the Örn in 1654). The Matthias Matthiasson family abandoned its interest in this tract in late 1671 when it moved across the Delaware to Boughttown (present Penns Grove in Salem County, NJ). But both Johan Grelsson and Mårten Mårtensson remained at Ammansland until their deaths. A contemporary survey placed the cabin of Mårten Mårtensson on the site now occupied by the Morton Homestead. Grelsson's cabin was a stone's throw to the west, on a small creek called Stony (now Amosland) Creek. Johan Grelsson led a quiet and unassuming life. He last appeared in public records on 27 June 1683, when (as "John Cornelius") he served on the new Chester County court's grand jury. He died shortly thereafter and his widow Helena married, by 1685, the widower Mårten Mårtensson. She also survived her second husband and was buried on 8 February 1713 at Gloria Dei Church at the reported age of 97 (probably somewhat exaggerated). Five children have been identified, three of whom left many descendants: Elisabeth Johansdotter, born in Sweden, c. 1650, married [1] the widower Bärtil Eskilsson c. 1670, and [2] Hans Geörgen c. 1678. She died at Calcon Hook, Lower Darby Township in 1717 of tuberculosi (See Urian family below). Anna Johansdotter, born in Sweden c. 1652, married Johan Van Cöln c. 1672 and died in Ammansland before 1697 (See Culin family below). Anders Johansson, born in Sweden c. 1654, inherited his father's half-interest in the 829-acre plantation in Ammansland. After moving to New Castle County, he sold most of this land to his stepfather Mårten Mårtensson and the remainder to his brother John Archer. As a member of the Swedish congregation at Crane Hook and Christina, he was known as Anders Grelsson Mink. He died after 1713, apparently unmarried. Arian Johansson, later known as John Archer, born in America c. 1656, married Gertrude Bärtilsdotter (daughter of Bärtil Eskilsson by his first marriage) c. 1679, and died in Ammansland in 1740 (See Archer family below). Eric Johansson, born in America c. 1660, became insane. On petition of his father, who "being poor, could not contain him," the Upland Court ordered that a blockhouse be built for "the madman" in September 1678. Eric probably died shortly thereafter. The Urian Family Bärtil Eskilsson, the first husband of Elisabeth Johansdotter, was a Finn from Värmland who had been sent to New Sweden in 1641 as punishment for forest-burning. By his first wife, he had children Margareta (who married Mårten Mårtensson, Jr., in 1674), Anders Bärtilsson (who moved to Penns Neck by 1685), Gertrude Bärtilsdotter (who married John Archer) and Johan Bärtilsson (who never married). When he married Elisabeth, Bärtil Eskilsson was living on the west side of Stony Run, opposite the cabin of Johan Grelsson. After his eldest daughter married Mårten Mårtensson, Jr., however, Bärtil joined the young couple at Calcon Hook. He died there about 1677 and his widow then married Hans Geörgen. Hans Geörgen from Brandenburg, Germany, came to the Delaware under Dutch rule, in 1662-1663. In 1674 he acquired a quarter interest in Calcon Hook and in 1678 married Bärtil's widow Elisabeth. He lived at Calcon Hook the balance of his life and was buried at Gloria Dei Church on 24 April 1713. The g's in his surname were soft g's so that his surname was pronounced "Urian" and, under the influence of English scribes, this became the family surname. By her two marriages, Elisabeth Johans-dotter had eight verified children: Lars Bärtilsson, who later adopted the name of Lawrence Parker, born c. 1671, died in 1705, devising his 200-acre farm in Gloucester County, NJ to his nephew Jacob Archer and his cow to his mother. Johan Urian, born 1679, moved to Gloucester County, where he married Elisabeth Guarron in 1715. He died in 1747, survived by his wife and nine children. Anna Maria Urian, born 1680, became the second wife of Andrew Wheeler of Moyamensing in 1704. She died in 1720, the same year as her husband, survived by three children. Helena Urian, born 1685, married her first cousin Gunnar Archer c. 1710. (See below) Fredric Urian, born 1687, married Elisabeth Lycan c. 1718. He died in Gloucester County in 1722, survived by one child (Hans). His widow then married Måns Keen. Elisabeth Urian, born 1689, was unmarried as of 1713; not further traced. Andrew Urian, born 1690, married [1] Maria Longacre in 1717, and [2] Margareta Longacre (widow of Peter Tussey) c. 1737. He inherited his father's farm at Calcon Hook where he died 26 January 1753, survived by five children. Dorthea Urian, born 1692, was still living in 1713; not further traced. The Culin Family Anna Johansdotter's husband Johan van Cöln (meaning from Cologne, Germany) arrived on the Delaware c. 1662, probably as one of the servants of Joost de la Grange from Leyden in the Netherlands who in that year purchased Tinicum Island from Armegot Printz. That island lies on the south side of Darby Creek, opposite Ammansland. Johan van Cöln, usually described as John van Culin in public records, was granted 100 acres of land on the east side of Crum Creek in Ammansland in 1679 and lived at that location until his death c. 1711. His wife Anna died before 1697. In 1687, John van Culin complained to the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania against the sheriff's seizure of his only two milk cows, which was all his wife and seven small children had to live on, he being 66 years old and unable to work. His children, as they became old enough, generally found employment in other households. The seven known children of Johan van Cöln and Anna Johansdotter are listed below. Each of the sons, except Jacob, later dropped the "van" from their surnames and became known simply as Culin. Jacob van Culin, born c. 1671, became the second husband of Brigitta Swanson (widow of Peter Justis) c. 1699. He died in early 1747 in Upper Penn's Neck, Salem County, NJ. He had four children who lived to adulthood. Reigner van Culin, born c. 1673, married [1] Ingrid (father unknown) c. 1705, [2] the widow Anna Tussey Stidham Scoggin in 1728. He died in the winter of 1731-1732 in New Castle County, DE survived by his wife and three children. Gregor van Culin, later known as George Culin, was born c. 1675 and was granted his father's farm in Ammansland in 1705 on condition that he support his father for the balance of his life. George married Margaret Morton, daughter of Mårten Mårtensson, Jr., c. 1704 and died in March 1736 in Ammansland. He was survived by his wife and eight children. Margaret van Culin, born c. 1678, married 13 January 1703 Andrew Mårtensson, son of Mårten Mårtensson, Sr., of Ammansland, and cared for her mother Helena and her stepfather (and father-in-law) for the final years of their lives. She died in Ammansland, 6 February 1755. She had five daughters who lived to adulthood and married. Anna van Culin, born c. 1682, married 25 May 1703 Andrew Mårtensson the younger, son of Mårten Mårtensson, Jr., of Calcon Hook. She died in Gloucester County, NJ, c. 1750. She had four known children, the first of whom (Morton) later built the Morton Morton House in Ammansland. John van Culin, born c. 1685, married Christina Paulson 6 January 1714. He died in 1727 at Turkey Island, New Castle Hundred, New Castle County, survived by six children. Maria van Culin, born c. 1687, married Gabriel Friend c. 1717, and moved to Gloucester County, NJ, where she was living in 1748. She had six known children. The Archer Family Born as Arian Johansson, he reversed his name early in life to become Johan Arian, which evolved through Orian, Orchard and Archard to Archer. In May 1685, he purchased with his step-father Mårten Mårtensson, Sr., 500 acres on the north side of Raccoon Creek in an area sometimes called New Stockholm. Later, in 1695, he purchased 137 acres in Ammansland, immediately to the east of the Morton Homestead, from his brother Anders Johansson. This became his home until his death in 1740. His wife Gertrude Bärtilsdotter died there in 1748. They had 11 children: Helena Archer, born 1680, married in 1701, but died soon thereafter apparently without issue. Gunnar Archer, born 1685, married his first cousin Helena Urian c. 1710. They lived on the Archer's Raccoon Creek plantation until his death in 1744. He was survived by four children. John Archer, Jr., born 1687, married Mary Peterson in 1720. They shared the Archer's Raccoon Creek plantation until his death in 1745. He was survived by his wife and five children Jacob Archer, born 1694, married Gunnilla Boon in 1734 and inherited that part of his father's plantation on Darby Creek. Both he and his wife died in 1750, survived by three children. Adam Archer, born c. 1696, married [1] his cousin Helena Morton, daughter of Andrew and Margareta Culin Morton, who died childless. He married [2] a woman named Elisabeth, by whom he had three children. Adam was given the north half of his father's Ammansland plantation, north of the Darby-Chester Road where, from 1730 until his death in 1747, Adam operated the White Horse Tavern. Andrew Archer, born c. 1699, married by 1732 Christina Halton of Gloucester County, NJ. He died there in 1733, survived by his wife and their posthumous daughter Christina. His widow remarried William Guest. Maria Archer, born c. 1701, married [1] c. 1722 John Morton, son of Mårten Mårtensson, Sr., and [2] c. 1733, John Sketchley (English). She lived in Ammansland until her death in 1778. Her only child was John Morton, Jr., born in 1725, who later earned fame as a Signer of the Declaration of Independence. Catharina Archer, born c. 1703, married [1] by 1723 Jonas Walraven, and [2] in 1731 Hans Peterson, both of New Castle County. She died there after 1755. By her two husbands, she had seven children. Brita Archer, born c. 1708, apparently died unmarried before 1738. Helena Archer, born c. 1710, married c. 1745 Abraham Jones, son of Peter Jones of Kingsessing. In 1753 they were living in Wicaco with four children. Elisabeth Archer, born 1713, married [1] in 1739 William Boon, [2] in 1743 Benjamin Simcock (English). She lived her entire married life on Boon's Island, where she died 14 November 1755. She had six known children.

Qualification &
Procedure

List of Qualifying
Forefathers

Forefather
Application

Forefather Family
Profiles

List of Current
Forefather Mambers

Johan Grelsson and his Archer,
Urian and Culin Descendants

by Dr. Peter Stebbins Craig
Fellow, American Society of Genealogists
Fellow, Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania
Historian, Swedish Colonial Society

originally published in Swedish Colonial News,
Volume 2, Number 5 (Fall 2001)

Johan Grelsson, his wife Helena and their three children arrived in New Sweden on the ship Mercurius in 1656. He was described as a Finn from Fryksdalen, the valley of the Fryken Lakes in Värmland, Sweden. Otherwise, little is known about Johan Grelsson's life in Sweden. His patronymic, Grelsson, indicates that he was the son of Gregor.

In America, Dutch and English scribes had difficulty spelling Johan's patronymic. The Dutch scribe Ephraim Herrman called him Jan Cornelissen. In 1671, the English census taker Walter Wharton called him John Gilsaw. Piecing together the evidence, however, we find that Johan Grelsson settled in the Finnish community known as Ammansland and shared a large tract of land along Mill (now Darby) Creek in what later became Ridley Township, Chester (now Delaware) County, PA. Here the family of Johan Grelsson joined the family of Matthias Matthiasson (also a Mercurius passenger from Fryksdalen) and the family of Mårten Mårtensson (who had arrived on the Örn in 1654).

The Matthias Matthiasson family abandoned its interest in this tract in late 1671 when it moved across the Delaware to Boughttown (present Penns Grove in Salem County, NJ). But both Johan Grelsson and Mårten Mårtensson remained at Ammansland until their deaths. A contemporary survey placed the cabin of Mårten Mårtensson on the site now occupied by the Morton Homestead. Grelsson's cabin was a stone's throw to the west, on a small creek called Stony (now Amosland) Creek.

Johan Grelsson led a quiet and unassuming life. He last appeared in public records on 27 June 1683, when (as "John Cornelius") he served on the new Chester County court's grand jury. He died shortly thereafter and his widow Helena married, by 1685, the widower Mårten Mårtensson. She also survived her second husband and was buried on 8 February 1713 at Gloria Dei Church at the reported age of 97 (probably somewhat exaggerated).

Five children have been identified, three of whom left many descendants:

Elisabeth Johansdotter, born in Sweden, c. 1650, married [1] the widower Bärtil Eskilsson c. 1670, and [2] Hans Geörgen c. 1678. She died at Calcon Hook, Lower Darby Township in 1717 of tuberculosi (See Urian family below).
Anna Johansdotter, born in Sweden c. 1652, married Johan Van Cöln c. 1672 and died in Ammansland before 1697 (See Culin family below).
Anders Johansson, born in Sweden c. 1654, inherited his father's half-interest in the 829-acre plantation in Ammansland. After moving to New Castle County, he sold most of this land to his stepfather Mårten Mårtensson and the remainder to his brother John Archer. As a member of the Swedish congregation at Crane Hook and Christina, he was known as Anders Grelsson Mink. He died after 1713, apparently unmarried.
Arian Johansson, later known as John Archer, born in America c. 1656, married Gertrude Bärtilsdotter (daughter of Bärtil Eskilsson by his first marriage) c. 1679, and died in Ammansland in 1740 (See Archer family below).
Eric Johansson, born in America c. 1660, became insane. On petition of his father, who "being poor, could not contain him," the Upland Court ordered that a blockhouse be built for "the madman" in September 1678. Eric probably died shortly thereafter.

The Urian Family

Bärtil Eskilsson, the first husband of Elisabeth Johansdotter, was a Finn from Värmland who had been sent to New Sweden in 1641 as punishment for forest-burning. By his first wife, he had children Margareta (who married Mårten Mårtensson, Jr., in 1674), Anders Bärtilsson (who moved to Penns Neck by 1685), Gertrude Bärtilsdotter (who married John Archer) and Johan Bärtilsson (who never married). When he married Elisabeth, Bärtil Eskilsson was living on the west side of Stony Run, opposite the cabin of Johan Grelsson. After his eldest daughter married Mårten Mårtensson, Jr., however, Bärtil joined the young couple at Calcon Hook. He died there about 1677 and his widow then married Hans Geörgen.

Hans Geörgen from Brandenburg, Germany, came to the Delaware under Dutch rule, in 1662-1663. In 1674 he acquired a quarter interest in Calcon Hook and in 1678 married Bärtil's widow Elisabeth. He lived at Calcon Hook the balance of his life and was buried at Gloria Dei Church on 24 April 1713. The g's in his surname were soft g's so that his surname was pronounced "Urian" and, under the influence of English scribes, this became the family surname.

By her two marriages, Elisabeth Johans-dotter had eight verified children:

Lars Bärtilsson, who later adopted the name of Lawrence Parker, born c. 1671, died in 1705, devising his 200-acre farm in Gloucester County, NJ to his nephew Jacob Archer and his cow to his mother.
Johan Urian, born 1679, moved to Gloucester County, where he married Elisabeth Guarron in 1715. He died in 1747, survived by his wife and nine children.
Anna Maria Urian, born 1680, became the second wife of Andrew Wheeler of Moyamensing in 1704. She died in 1720, the same year as her husband, survived by three children.
Helena Urian, born 1685, married her first cousin Gunnar Archer c. 1710. (See below)
Fredric Urian, born 1687, married Elisabeth Lycan c. 1718. He died in Gloucester County in 1722, survived by one child (Hans). His widow then married Måns Keen.
Elisabeth Urian, born 1689, was unmarried as of 1713; not further traced.
Andrew Urian, born 1690, married [1] Maria Longacre in 1717, and [2] Margareta Longacre (widow of Peter Tussey) c. 1737. He inherited his father's farm at Calcon Hook where he died 26 January 1753, survived by five children.
Dorthea Urian, born 1692, was still living in 1713; not further traced.

The Culin Family

Anna Johansdotter's husband Johan van Cöln (meaning from Cologne, Germany) arrived on the Delaware c. 1662, probably as one of the servants of Joost de la Grange from Leyden in the Netherlands who in that year purchased Tinicum Island from Armegot Printz. That island lies on the south side of Darby Creek, opposite Ammansland.

Johan van Cöln, usually described as John van Culin in public records, was granted 100 acres of land on the east side of Crum Creek in Ammansland in 1679 and lived at that location until his death c. 1711. His wife Anna died before 1697. In 1687, John van Culin complained to the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania against the sheriff's seizure of his only two milk cows, which was all his wife and seven small children had to live on, he being 66 years old and unable to work. His children, as they became old enough, generally found employment in other households.

The seven known children of Johan van Cöln and Anna Johansdotter are listed below. Each of the sons, except Jacob, later dropped the "van" from their surnames and became known simply as Culin.

Jacob van Culin, born c. 1671, became the second husband of Brigitta Swanson (widow of Peter Justis) c. 1699. He died in early 1747 in Upper Penn's Neck, Salem County, NJ. He had four children who lived to adulthood.
Reigner van Culin, born c. 1673, married [1] Ingrid (father unknown) c. 1705, [2] the widow Anna Tussey Stidham Scoggin in 1728. He died in the winter of 1731-1732 in New Castle County, DE survived by his wife and three children.
Gregor van Culin, later known as George Culin, was born c. 1675 and was granted his father's farm in Ammansland in 1705 on condition that he support his father for the balance of his life. George married Margaret Morton, daughter of Mårten Mårtensson, Jr., c. 1704 and died in March 1736 in Ammansland. He was survived by his wife and eight children.
Margaret van Culin, born c. 1678, married 13 January 1703 Andrew Mårtensson, son of Mårten Mårtensson, Sr., of Ammansland, and cared for her mother Helena and her stepfather (and father-in-law) for the final years of their lives. She died in Ammansland, 6 February 1755. She had five daughters who lived to adulthood and married.
Anna van Culin, born c. 1682, married 25 May 1703 Andrew Mårtensson the younger, son of Mårten Mårtensson, Jr., of Calcon Hook. She died in Gloucester County, NJ, c. 1750. She had four known children, the first of whom (Morton) later built the Morton Morton House in Ammansland.
John van Culin, born c. 1685, married Christina Paulson 6 January 1714. He died in 1727 at Turkey Island, New Castle Hundred, New Castle County, survived by six children.
Maria van Culin, born c. 1687, married Gabriel Friend c. 1717, and moved to Gloucester County, NJ, where she was living in 1748. She had six known children.

The Archer Family

Born as Arian Johansson, he reversed his name early in life to become Johan Arian, which evolved through Orian, Orchard and Archard to Archer. In May 1685, he purchased with his step-father Mårten Mårtensson, Sr., 500 acres on the north side of Raccoon Creek in an area sometimes called New Stockholm. Later, in 1695, he purchased 137 acres in Ammansland, immediately to the east of the Morton Homestead, from his brother Anders Johansson. This became his home until his death in 1740. His wife Gertrude Bärtilsdotter died there in 1748. They had 11 children:

Helena Archer, born 1680, married in 1701, but died soon thereafter apparently without issue.
Gunnar Archer, born 1685, married his first cousin Helena Urian c. 1710. They lived on the Archer's Raccoon Creek plantation until his death in 1744. He was survived by four children.
John Archer, Jr., born 1687, married Mary Peterson in 1720. They shared the Archer's Raccoon Creek plantation until his death in 1745. He was survived by his wife and five children
Jacob Archer, born 1694, married Gunnilla Boon in 1734 and inherited that part of his father's plantation on Darby Creek. Both he and his wife died in 1750, survived by three children.
Adam Archer, born c. 1696, married [1] his cousin Helena Morton, daughter of Andrew and Margareta Culin Morton, who died childless. He married [2] a woman named Elisabeth, by whom he had three children. Adam was given the north half of his father's Ammansland plantation, north of the Darby-Chester Road where, from 1730 until his death in 1747, Adam operated the White Horse Tavern.
Andrew Archer, born c. 1699, married by 1732 Christina Halton of Gloucester County, NJ. He died there in 1733, survived by his wife and their posthumous daughter Christina. His widow remarried William Guest.
Maria Archer, born c. 1701, married [1] c. 1722 John Morton, son of Mårten Mårtensson, Sr., and [2] c. 1733, John Sketchley (English). She lived in Ammansland until her death in 1778. Her only child was John Morton, Jr., born in 1725, who later earned fame as a Signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Catharina Archer, born c. 1703, married [1] by 1723 Jonas Walraven, and [2] in 1731 Hans Peterson, both of New Castle County. She died there after 1755. By her two husbands, she had seven children.
Brita Archer, born c. 1708, apparently died unmarried before 1738.
Helena Archer, born c. 1710, married c. 1745 Abraham Jones, son of Peter Jones of Kingsessing. In 1753 they were living in Wicaco with four children.
Elisabeth Archer, born 1713, married [1] in 1739 William Boon, [2] in 1743 Benjamin Simcock (English). She lived her entire married life on Boon's Island, where she died 14 November 1755. She had six known children.